The Ties of Friendship
by AquaTurquoise
Summary: Rapunzel both gives and receives various forms of advice when she returns for a week-long meeting. (This will be a multi-chapter story, but most likely no more than four or five chapters. :D Also, I wanted to give you all plenty to read this week while I'm a little busier than usual, so I hope this makes you smile. :D)
1. Amber's Dilemma

The Ties of Friendship

Summary: Rapunzel both gives and receives various forms of advice when she returns for a week-long meeting. (This will be a multi-chapter story, but most likely no more than four or five chapters. :D)

Disclaimer: I don't own Sofia the First or Tangled. :D

A/N: Yep, she's back! I'll admit, this show gave me WAY more respect for Rapunzel than I thought possible. I mean, I liked her and everything to begin with, but she wasn't really on the top of my list when it came to favorites. She was more in the middle. Now, she's moved up quite a bit thanks to her "awesomeness" in the show I guess. Haha. That's the way it works!

Amber hummed brightly as she wandered through the castle hallways, a thoughtful look lingering on her face. She traced a hydrangea that she held loosely in her left hand. It was a soft blue with a purple center. She inhaled the fragrant scent before sighing with a dreamy smile on her visage.

"Oh, I know _that_ look."

The princess paused upon hearing a familiar voice and she looked up, her face breaking into an even brighter smile. "Rapunzel?!" She actually ran to the other princess and hugged her, surprising the visitor of Enchancia.

"Whoa there," the other blonde laughed, returning the hug from the usually standoffish girl. "Wow, you sure are affectionate today." She grinned and gestured at the flower. "Could it possibly be because of this? Hmm?"

Amber blushed and hid the flower behind her back. "N-No, that's nothing! Heh, it's just a token—a thank you—from a fellow student. I…gave him one of my tea cakes and he appreciated it."

"Mm-hmm." Rapunzel grinned as the girl just blushed more. "Okay, if you don't want to talk about it, that's fine. By the way, have you seen your parents recently?"

"Oh, they should be in the throne room." She tilted her head. "Why _are_ you here, Rapunzel?"

"Ha, I actually had some business to do while I'm here this week. Your father invited me to stay in the kingdom, and then your mom invited me to stay in the _castle_." She shrugged. "So here I am."

"Wait, you're here for a whole week?" Seeing the other girl nod, Amber squealed quietly in excitement. "Yay! I have so many fun things we can do! We can have a tea party, have a slumber party, ooh—and you need to meet my pet unicorn!"

Rapunzel laughed nervously as the girl was listing all the things they could do. "Those all sound great, but I'm still supposed to attend meetings, so it won't be all fun and—did you say you had a unicorn?" At Amber's happy nod, she smiled and shook her head. "Why am I not surprised?"

After settling into a spare room, the older princess followed Amber down the various halls as she chatted about recent school activities, the holidays that had come and gone, her gifts and experiences during the early winter, and what she had in mind for upcoming snowy days. It made her rather happy to listen to the girl talking so positively about various topics. It was quite different from the worried girl she'd met a few months ago, though she still had no recollection of said meeting. Still, they'd probably more than made up for that by now.

"Rapunzel?" Amber asked quietly, garnering the attention of the older blonde beside her.

"Amber?"

"What's the nicest thing someone has ever done for you?"

Rapunzel raised an eyebrow before laughing softly. "Well, I guess my husband saving my life and encouraging me to leave the tower is the biggest thing… Why? What's going on?"

"I need some advice." She paused and looked around before grabbing her hand and pulling her into the ball room and shutting the door. "I want to know how I can do something nice for a—friend—and not have others judge me for it."

"Judge you?" the purple-clad princess repeated, frowning slightly. "Why should someone judge you for doing something nice for another person?"

"You don't understand. I have a bit of a reputation at school, as being kind of…well…"

"High maintenance?" She grinned when Amber gasped.

"You said that with such ease! I'm not _that_ high maintenance…"

"How many tiaras do you have?" She giggled at the look on her face.

Amber blushed and waved her hands, still holding desperately to her hydrangea. "That is beside the point! I just want to know how to do something nice for someone without it being a big deal to everyone around me. Don't forget, I'm still school age. These things make a difference at this point in my life." She sighed and pouted a little bit.

Rapunzel laughed and smiled, taking Amber's hands as she knelt to her. "Look, what matters is that your intentions are good. It doesn't even matter what it is that you choose to do. True goodness and intentions come from here." She pointed toward Amber's heart. "You want to do something nice for this boy?"

The younger girl blushed a little more. "H-How do you know it's a boy?"

"Girl, I wasn't born yesterday, and you're not the first princess to have feelings for someone." She grinned. "Maybe…compliment him on getting an answer right in class. Or share another one of your tea cakes with him. Or…just talk to him. Sometimes the nicest thing you can do for someone is just talk to him, and show interest in having a genuine conversation with him."

"Oh… So getting him a flying horse may be a little extravagant and extreme, huh?"

Rapunzel paused and sighed, lowering her head. "Please tell me you didn't do that, Amber…"

"N-No! Daddy wouldn't have approved it anyway. And I really don't want him to make a bigger deal of this than it is, after all." She smiled thoughtfully. "After all, I'm still just eleven years old…"

"Snow white was fourteen when she found her true love," the older princess mentioned with a sly smile, making Amber's eyes widen. "But like you said, you're still young. Things are different now, of course. Don't rush things and just be yourself. And don't spend any money on this kid either, because if you follow your _heart_ instead of your _riches_, things usually work out for the best in the end."

Amber smiled brightly, hugging her friend. "Thank you, Rapunzel."

"You're welcome. Now." She winked as Amber stood back and let her stand again. "I've got to get to my first meeting. Afterwards, we'll discuss this newfound hydrangea obsession of yours."

Amber blushed lightly and laughed nervously. "O-Okay." She sighed as Rapunzel left the room to head to the throne room in order to get the first meeting underway. She smiled as she gazed at the flower, remembering her friend's words, and happily floated from the ballroom back down the hallway toward her bedroom.

To be continued…

A/N: Rapunzel will be giving advice to various people in this story. One of the _last_ things she'll do is receive some advice, so stick around for that. ;) Have a good week! ~AquaTurquoise


	2. Practically Perfect

The Ties of Friendship

Summary: Rapunzel both gives and receives various forms of advice when she returns for a week-long meeting. (This will be a multi-chapter story, but most likely no more than four or five chapters. :D)

Disclaimer: I don't own Sofia the First or Tangled. :D

A/N: Here's chapter two, everyone! Last time, Rapunzel helped out Amber. This time, she'll get to help our favorite steward. :D

Chapter 2: Practically Perfect

Rapunzel sighed in exhaustion as she left the first meeting of the week. She liked it in Enchancia and everything, but these meetings were simply too tedious. She was glad the first day was actually the longest and hardest day—according to Roland, anyway—and that she now got some downtime for herself.

Well, she had promised Amber that they would talk… Oh, well. The other princess could wait. Besides, now she had time to explore a little bit, something that she hadn't gotten to do very much the times she'd visited.

The older princess hummed brightly as she walked into the dining room, observing the elegant table and decorations placed around the room. It was beautiful, and she felt very small standing in such a place. She gasped when she felt someone bump into her and fumble to keep from dropping something. "Oh, I'm sorry!" she apologized quickly, reaching out to halt an accident before it started.

Baileywick sighed in relief as both he and Rapunzel caught an empty punch bowl just before it hit the marble flooring. He looked up toward the blonde girl and smiled gratefully. "Thank you…Princess Rapunzel, right?"

She grinned and stood as he did, still holding one side of the bowl just in case. "That's right. And…I'm afraid I don't know your name."

"I'm Baileywick, Your Highness. I'm the Royal Steward of the castle, and it's my job to oversee production of everything here."

"That's great and everything, but let's not do the 'Your Highness' bit while I'm here, okay? Sometimes I just want to break away from the whole 'princess' thing, and it's kind of hard when I'm constantly reminded that I _am_ one."

He blinked in confusion but managed, "As you wish, Your—I mean, Princess Rapunzel." He smiled sheepishly as she shot him a look. "I'm sorry… As I _am_ addressing royalty, my conscience won't let me go any lower on the scale than that."

She laughed. "I guess it's better than nothing. You have this, right?"

"I do." He sighed and placed the large bowl onto the dining table before readjusting his jacket. "Well, thank you very much for your help. I need to return to my chores…" He looked around and shook his head. "Unfortunately, the windows still need to be cleaned and the floors aren't quite as reflective as I'd like them to be."

Rapunzel smirked and shook her head as she placed one hand on her hip. "You're a bit of a perfectionist, aren't you?"

"Oh, no, Princess Rapunzel… I'm _the_ biggest perfectionist I know, and I have to admit it. Part of my job is making sure everything looks grand for the castle. If I don't do my very best, I feel as though I haven't done my job and therefore am undeserving of any reward."

She giggled and sighed. "Well, who all is helping you?"

"Violet and some of the others are doing other chores, so as of now, I'm the one in charge of the dining room…" He shrugged.

She lit up. "How about I help you?" She grinned. "I'm really good at chores. I used to do them all the time when I was up in my tower." She held out her hands expectantly. "Do you have a broom?"

"P-Princess, I couldn't ask you to help me…" He pulled out his pocket watch, observed the time, and put it away again. "Besides, I'm to adhere to a strict schedule, and I'm already two minutes and seventeen seconds behind."

Rapunzel rolled her eyes in amusement and smiled. "All the more reason for me to help you! I'm done working for the day, and cleaning is therapeutic for me. You want me to be happy, right?"

He eyed her cautiously before shrugging. "If you so desire, Princess Rapunzel… But if the king found out about this—"

"I would tell him the truth," she returned. "That I pressured his darling Baileywick into giving me something productive to do." She grinned as he chuckled.

As they cleaned, they discussed their lives and interests—though it seemed that Rapunzel had far more adventurous interests than Baileywick. After hearing of his times spent with the Buttercups, she had to laugh. For some reason, she just couldn't imagine someone who had such immaculate tastes being involved in the little girls' group. Then again, people surprised her all the time now, so she couldn't really judge from the outside…a lesson learned the hard way.

"So, I get the castle needing to be in a good condition and in an operational mode," Rapunzel began once they'd finished with the chores about an hour later. "But what I don't get is why it needs to be _perfect_."

Baileywick raised his eyes toward her as he lifted his teacup before pausing and setting it down. "Well…aside from it being my duty to oversee everything to the highest standards, I guess it's just in my nature. I like things to be perfect."

"Well, yeah, clearly…" She looked around as she saw the floor shining with proper reflectiveness and even gleaming shimmers from various objects around the room. "But doesn't that get exhausting?"

He blinked. "What do you mean?"

She laughed a little. "I _mean_—no one is perfect. You'd probably seriously harm yourself trying to be. Believe me." She shrugged. "I don't know. I think it's fine to try your best and everything, but it's got to be stressful going _beyond_ 'above and beyond' to set some kind of superior standard. I just hope King Roland appreciates you."

"Oh, he does, Princess," Baileywick affirmed after finally sipping some of his tea. "I've been with his family for a long time, and he is one of the people I can count on to stand up for me. For example, a few months ago, another steward was vying for my job. He even tried to sabotage me."

The blonde lifted an eyebrow. "Seriously?"

"I'm afraid so… Well, it took some time and reassurance from not only the king but his family as well. They discovered his plot and disposed of him properly." He smiled lightly when she laughed at his depiction. "And ever since, I've been working even harder."

"That's fine and everything, but don't overwork yourself, all right? I'd hate to see someone so passionate about his work just completely burn out. It's okay to be _your_ best rather than _the_ best, you know."

Baileywick lightened in gratitude. "Thank you, Princess Rapunzel. I do appreciate your concern, and if it makes you feel better…" He pointed toward a plant in the far corner of the dining room. "Do you see that plant there?"

"Yes?"

"I haven't dusted it at all today." He smiled proudly.

"Ooh," the princess replied playfully, giggling at his sheepish look. "Well, it's a start I guess." She yawned and shook her head. "Oh, wow, sorry… I guess I'm kind of tired." She laughed. "I'd better get back to Amber anyway before she sends a search party out for me."

The steward chuckled. "Don't joke. She would actually do that."

"I know." She grinned and stood as he followed suit. "It was nice to spend some time with you, Baileywick. I'll see you around sometime."

"I enjoyed myself, Princess Rapunzel. Have a good evening." He smiled as she left before beginning to clear away the dishes for the night. Once everything was in its proper order, he paused and looked toward the plant he'd mentioned. It looked fine, despite his admission of not dusting it yet. He shrugged and watered it instead, not wanting it to wilt, and smiled thoughtfully. It wasn't perfect, but then again…maybe it didn't have to be.

To be continued…

A/N: I hope you all liked this part. I figured Baileywick would appreciate some help, even if it did come from a princess. Then again, he always works well with Sofia, so this wouldn't surprise me at all. :) And this whole perfection thing…I guess I could reflect that on myself too. I like to make things a little _too_ perfect sometimes, and I have to remind myself that there really isn't such a thing. Just being _your_ best instead of _the_ best is what counts. :D With that, I bid you all a good day. Since we _do_ have a three-day weekend, I may have either another chapter of this story or a new story out soon. We'll see. Keep an eye out either way! ~AquaTurquoise


	3. Cookie Cutter Conundrum

The Ties of Friendship

Summary: Rapunzel both gives and receives various forms of advice when she returns for a week-long meeting. (This will be a multi-chapter story, but most likely no more than four or five chapters. :D)

Disclaimer: I don't own Sofia the First or Tangled. :D

A/N: Here's chapter three, at last. I'm sorry it took much longer. Last time, Rapunzel aided Baileywick. The time has finally come for her to advise Sofia, who seems to have a bit of an identity relapse.

Chapter 3: Cookie Cutter Conundrum

The next two days were a little less interesting for Rapunzel. She'd been in a few meetings with the king and his advisors, and she'd made some recommendations they'd approved. She did, however, sort of hate the whole serious "royal requirements" she'd so often found herself having to acquire the last few days. Sometimes, she really missed being _just_ Rapunzel and not "Princess Rapunzel of Corona." Those simple days of painting, cleaning, reading, and bugging Pascal weren't so easy to come by anymore.

Still, she couldn't complain. Her husband Eugene took a bit of the load from her shoulders many times, which she really appreciated.

Rapunzel paused as she passed by one of the rooms. She noticed the door was open, and inside was a forlorn looking Princess Sofia. She raised an eyebrow at the normally cheerful girl's expression as she sat on her bed, her legs tucked underneath her, while she stared at a ragged doll.

The blonde princess knocked on the door softly, garnering a surprised look from the younger girl. She smiled. "Hey, can I come in?"

Sofia blinked and nodded as she took her doll and hid it behind her back, dropping it onto the bed. "Hi, Rapunzel," she greeted with a small smile, though it didn't really seem to reach her eyes. "What are you doing here?"

"I was heading…eh, somewhere." She laughed sheepishly. "I think I made a wrong turn and got lost…" She grinned when Sofia actually giggled at her explanation. "Is something wrong? You seem kind of down."

"Not really…" She sighed and folded her hands in her lap.

"Um, right, like I'm going to believe that…" She walked over toward the auburn-haired girl and sat on the bed across from her. "The tell-tale sign, Sofia: the sigh. It's always the sigh."

"I'm that obvious?" she asked with a pout.

"Just a tiny bit," the older girl joked with a grin. "What's going on?"

"Do you ever feel out of place, like you don't belong or fit in…or like you're…different?"

Rapunzel blinked before dryly responding, "Different, huh? Let's see. I've had seventy feet of magical healing hair; I'd been kept in a tower for about eighteen years of my life; I've discovered a woman who called herself my mother was actually a conniving kidnapper; and I've only been a 'proper' princess for a few years, despite growing up acting like a common girl who had a very unhealthy obsession with painting lanterns and struggling with internal conflicts." She shrugged, making Sofia laugh. "You tell me!"

"Okay, so you'd understand where I'm coming from." She pulled the doll in front of her again, caressing its hair. "Sometimes I miss my simple life in the village. I mean, I love my family and friends here, and being a princess is fun… But sometimes I wish I could have both worlds whenever I wanted them. It gets a bit overwhelming sometimes."

"I can appreciate that." She leaned against one of the bedposts and twirled the end of her braid around her hand thoughtfully. "Being a princess isn't easy. I know that. _But_ the good thing is, as a princess, you're able to reinvent and assert yourself. You can be who you want to be."

Sofia smiled, recognizing these words.

"You're not like other princesses, Sofia." Rapunzel gestured with her free hand. "You befriend commoners _and_ royals. You study magic with your best friend—a sorcerer. You have a bond with animals and really seem to care about their wellbeing. You have an amulet that holds mysterious powers—and it _seriously_ needs to consult us other princesses before yanking us out of our own kingdoms without warning."

The younger princess giggled. "Sorry… I wondered if it ever interrupted you all, but I never thought to ask."

"It's fine. But that's my point, kiddo. You're special. You don't have to be like every other princess. You can be yourself and bring a new perspective others never saw coming." She gestured toward herself. "Do you think people in my kingdom knew what they had gotten into when _I_ returned as the princess?" She smirked as Sofia smiled and shook her head in humor. "Just be _your_ best. Being like all the other princesses is overrated and honestly…kind of boring."

The young girl nodded in realization. "I think I get it now… I'm usually perfectly fine with how things are these days, but some days I guess I have…relapses?"

The blonde smiled. "Don't we all?" She slid from the bed and brushed her dress out before holding out her hand, helping Sofia down also. "How about we go for a walk and get away from everything for a little while? I swear if I see one more noble attempting to beckon me into another meeting, I'm going to lock myself in a room and sing off-key songs at the top of my lungs so they quit bothering me for the rest of the day."

Sofia laughed uncertainly and raised an eyebrow at her. "Maybe a little fresh air would do us both some good then."

The two princesses left the castle to get some much needed downtime.

To be continued…

A/N: All right, everyone… It's your turn to provide some input. The next chapter should be the last, and it's Rapunzel _receiving_ advice from someone this time. I'll let y'all make some recommendations in the reviews of who you'd like to see talking to her, and the character with the most votes will be her "advisor." Haha.

CedricAmber: I'm sorry! I meant to get back to you earlier but totally forgot. I saw the review on "Ivories" about Cedric's sister and your question. I personally think the sister is older. I think I may have seen it somewhere, but I just got the general feeling she was also, based on how he described her to Amber. I do hope we see her sometime, and I actually read an awesome suggestion someone on the Wiki said: let Ellen DeGeneres voice her. Oh…my…cupcakes… That would be SO funny. :p

That ManX: Thanks for everything and all the reviews!

All the other people, including those I speak to regularly or semi-regularly: You know I love y'all and your reviews… :) I'm getting the suggestions, requests, humorous stories, etc. Don't think they go unread. I fully appreciate everything. ;)

~AquaTurquoise


	4. Make Your Own Magic

The Ties of Friendship

Summary: Rapunzel both gives and receives various forms of advice when she returns for a week-long meeting. (This will be a multi-chapter story, but most likely no more than four or five chapters. :D)

Disclaimer: I don't own Sofia the First or Tangled. :D

A/N: Chapter 4 is here at last, and this time I do have the last two people from the "cover photo" in it. I didn't forget about these two. In fact, I was saving them for a specific few scenes. This is the last chapter, so get some popcorn and get your "aw" voices ready. ;)

Chapter 4: Make Your Own Magic

Toward the end of her stay in Enchancia, Rapunzel had made headway in the meetings and declared everything settled. Therefore, she had one last day to enjoy herself before returning home to Corona tomorrow.

It was on that final day that she had decided to spend some time with the royal inhabitants she'd come to know as her friends. And it was also on this day that she would make a new discovery of her very own.

"Rapunzel," Amber greeted with a smile as she walked up to the other princess with her twin in tow. "You've met my brother James, haven't you?"

"Briefly, but I don't think we really got to talk." She smiled down at the younger twin. "Hello, James. Nice to meet you."

James smiled goofily as he gazed up at the older princess. "Hi, Rapunzel," he said dreamily before snapping out of it and clearing his throat, blushing a bit. "I mean…hey." '_Nailed it_,' he thought with an inward grin.

Rapunzel laughed and looked back at Amber. "Well, it's my last day here. Did you have anything in mind?"

"Oh, um…" She laughed lightly. "Actually, I'm supposed to go to my friend's birthday party for a few hours today, so I won't be around much." She pushed James in front of her, making him yelp. "But James could show you around for a while. You two can _bond_."

James shot his sister a look, realizing the way she'd said the final word was to tease him. "Sure, I'll be glad to show her around." He smiled happily up at the princess.

"Well, thank you, James. That's very kind of you." She glanced over toward Amber one more time. "So do I get a hug goodbye?"

Amber smiled and shrugged before hugging the princess. "I'll see you again soon, right?"

"Actually, you may. Your mother invited me back for one of her parties in a few weeks, so I'll see if I can make it."

The girl brightened. "Sounds great." She brushed out her dress and ran her fingers through her hair. "All right, have fun. I'll see you later, Rapunzel. James, behave yourself." She winked at her twin and giggled as she left.

James attempted to keep his embarrassment at bay as he motioned for Rapunzel to follow him as they walked outside. "So…have you had a good time in Enchancia?"

"I have," she responded thoughtfully. "I met your steward Baileywick this time too." She laughed. "He's a great guy, but he needs to relax."

"I know, right? We tried to tell him the same thing, but he's just like that. And he _never_ slouches, but he's always getting onto me about it."

"Ha, I guess maybe it's for your better posture, hmm?"

"Something like that." He searched the confines of his mind for a good conversational topic before finally asking, "So what's it like being a princess?" He then realized how completely silly that sounded as she looked at him in confusion.

Rapunzel smiled a little, laughing. "Well…about the same as being a _prince_, I guess…except the opposite."

James blushed again, feeling rather foolish. He attempted to redeem himself though. "I-I know! I just meant…uh… What's it like being a princess in _your_ kingdom?" '_Yeah, much better…_'

"Oh, well, not much different from here, I guess… Except while you and Amber have known about your royalty your entire lives, I found out about mine a few years ago." She shrugged. "We're not that different, really."

"I see…" He looked down as Rex ran over with a bone in his mouth. He lit up. "Hey, boy! You want to play?" He paused and glanced toward the princess with him. "Um, Rapunzel, I'm so sorry… I completely forgot that Baileywick asked me to take Rex for his exercise earlier, and I'll never hear the end of it if I don't. I can catch up with you later if you want."

"That's fine." She smiled at him as he petted his dog. "I know just who else I need to visit before I leave anyway. I'll see you later." She waved as the other two took off before she turned and walked back inside the castle.

"Hi, Rapunzel!" Sofia greeted cheerfully when the blonde girl entered the halls. "Are you going to another meeting?"

"Nope," she said with a grin, placing her hands on her hips. "I'm done with that finally. I'll be going home tomorrow."

"Oh, well…are you doing anything right now?"

She placed her hands behind her back. "Not particularly. Why?"

Sofia smiled and held out her hand to Rapunzel, giggling as she took it. "In that case, I know something fun we can do."

A few minutes later, both princesses found themselves outside the door to Cedric's workshop.

Sofia grinned. "Watch this." She lifted her hand and knocked on the door in her typical pattern.

"I don't know why you're bothering even knocking, Sofia," Cedric's voice returned slightly sarcastically and part playfully, making the princesses snicker. "Come in."

The younger princess pushed Rapunzel in front of her. "Let's mess with his mind a little bit."

"Oh, very sneaky," the older princess teased, shaking her head. She opened the door and walked inside, surprising the sorcerer.

"P-Princess Rapunzel?" he asked in shock. "What are you doing here? And why does your knock sound so much like…?" He deadpanned as he heard a giggle. "Sofia, are you out there?"

"Maybe," the girl retorted with a grin as she peered from behind the blonde. "Did we fool you, Mr. Cedric?"

"Not at all. I was just slightly taken aback." He shrugged as Sofia ran over and hugged him before sitting on her usual chair. "How may I help you two?"

"Rapunzel is only here today and has to go back home tomorrow. I thought maybe she could learn some magic too."

"Oh, you don't have to do that," Rapunzel stated, waving her hands. "I don't want to be a bother."

"Nonsense." Cedric waved his wand over a potion he was working on and watched it bubble up. "As I know of your temperament, Princess Rapunzel, I assure you that _you_ are not a bother. Now had it been a few _other_ people I've run into…" He shrugged. "That would be a different story."

The blonde girl nodded with a grateful smile. "If you say so…" She walked over to the staircase and looked up, noticing a window at the very top. "Your workshop kind of reminds me of the tower I grew up in."

"That sounds like the beginning to an interesting story," Cedric commented, eyeing Sofia, who just smiled and shrugged.

"Well, it's not really so much a story I _like_ telling," she responded with a small sigh. "But suffice it to say it's the story that taught me a lesson about people…a lesson I never really wanted to learn."

"And what's that?" Sofia asked curiously.

Rapunzel smiled somewhat sadly. "You really can't trust anybody fully… It just seems like people always let you down in some way."

Cedric considered her words before gesturing toward an empty stool. "Come, have a seat, my dear. There's something I need to tell you."

"Mr. Cedric?"

"It's all right, Princess Sofia," he responded gently as Rapunzel sat next to the younger girl. "Now, Princess Rapunzel, why is it you think you cannot rely on or trust others?" He tapped one of his vials with his wand and slid the spell book toward Sofia. "Page 52, fourth and fifth paragraphs."

Sofia blinked and turned to the page indicated. She read the passages as the other two talked.

"I don't know," Rapunzel told Cedric as she folded her arms over her stomach. "I just haven't had a lot of luck with a lot of different kinds of people. Sure, most of them mean well or at least apologize later if that wasn't originally the case, but I still can't shake this feeling that people are always going to be out to get me for one reason or another: whether it's magical hair, or the royal status, or whatever…" She sighed. "And I don't _want_ to feel that way, believe me. It's just hard not to sometimes, you know?"

"Oh, believe me," Cedric answered with a huff. "I know. I'm in the same metaphorical boat many times. Being a demonstrator of magical talents can be tough, especially when people want you to constantly entertain them with such abilities. Granted, for me, it's part of my job; however, that doesn't make it any less annoying."

"It sounds like we're somewhat alike." Rapunzel glanced up at him.

"In some aspects, Princess, yes…we are."

Sofia looked up from reading to smile at the interaction between her two friends before continuing to study her passages. She was starting to get an idea of what Cedric seemed to want her to do.

"But doesn't that make _you_ wary of people?" the older princess wondered curiously, green eyes locked on the sorcerer.

"Very. But…I will say that sometimes people will surprise you." He nodded toward Sofia, who was too busy to notice.

Rapunzel smiled thoughtfully at his indication. "Hmm…"

"Sometimes, there are people who will stand up for you against all odds and make you a better person in the end. And if you find that person, hold tight, because that's a rare find. They don't come in large quantities anymore, if they ever did."

"So what you're saying is…" She waved a hand in question, hoping he'd conclude for her so she wouldn't have to ponder his meaning, though she had a pretty good idea of what he was trying to say.

"There's good in everyone," Cedric told her with a smile. "You just have to be conscious enough to find it."

Sofia took her wand from the table and waved it slightly as she recited lines she'd just read: "Summon the senses from within; aid my quest to free the heart. No more doubts; let's now mend the bond of all with a renewed start." When she finished her spell, from the end of her wand appeared a gold necklace with a purple heart and what appeared to be white wings sprouting from it. She looked toward Rapunzel with a grin. "Try it on."

Hesitating a bit at first, Rapunzel took the necklace and fastened it around her neck. "Now what?"

"Now look at Sofia," Cedric instructed as he walked to stand next to Rapunzel. "And what do you notice?"

Before she could reply with an obvious answer, the older princess took her time, smiling. "Courageous, loyal, friendly, intuitive, intellectual, and fair." She raised her eyebrows in wonder as she grasped the necklace in surprise. "What exactly does this do?"

Cedric tapped the purple jewel heart with his own wand, giving it one final magical boost. "It shows you the good in people. Consider it a gift from both of us." He chuckled as she observed it carefully. "Perhaps in a way, this can encourage you to make your own magic, so to speak."

She laughed. "I've always been pretty good at that," she joked. "But thank you both…especially you, Cedric."

The sorcerer laughed shyly and waved his hands modestly. "Oh, don't thank me, dear girl. I just…" He froze when he found that Rapunzel was hugging him. Sofia, he was used to by now…but this was quite different.

Sofia giggled. "See, Mr. Cedric? You're very huggable."

He laughed nervously. "So I see…"

Rapunzel smiled up at him as she released him from the hug. "You don't get hugs very often, do you?"

"On the contrary." He gestured toward his apprentice. "Princes Sofia insists on giving me one every day…something about needing affection or friendly contact, or something of that nature."

Sofia grinned. "Rapunzel, I think you're going to have to hug him again. He seems to have missed the point."

"N-No, no! I'm fine!" He laughed and moved away toward his side of the table. "Besides, it would be my luck that King Roland would enter, see you hugging me, get the wrong idea, report it to your husband, and I'd be carted off to prison or something gruesome like that."

Rapunzel rolled her eyes with a smile. "You exaggerate everything, don't you?" She laughed. "Anyway, thank you both so much. This had been a really interesting trip." She looked down at her necklace again, tracing the jewel fondly.

The next day, the family bid Rapunzel goodbye as she left on her journey home. It was sort of bittersweet, but they knew they'd see her again very soon.

"I just wish I hadn't abandoned her to play with Rex," James lamented with a sigh later on.

Baileywick shook his head. "See, Prince James? If you had walked Rex earlier like I had instructed you, you possibly could have spent more time with her."

He pouted. "I'll never doubt you again, Baileywick."

"So," Roland started as he looked toward his family and staff members who were outside. "I hear Princess Rapunzel is a good advice giver. At least that's what the children told me. And I hear she helped both of you out." He looked toward Baileywick and Cedric.

"Actually, she did, Your Majesty," Baileywick said with a smile. "She told me to do my best and not stress…kind of what you have all told me all along. She's a fine princess."

Miranda smiled and nodded. "I think so too. She's been a good influence on our children also."

"And what'd she tell you, Cedric?" Roland asked curiously, glancing at the sorcerer.

Cedric smiled somewhat uncertainly. "That I needed to be more…huggable, Your Majesty."

Miranda and Baileywick started snickering at this as the kids just smiled. Roland blinked in confusion.

"What?"

"Nothing, Your Majesty!" He looked down to see Sofia tugging at his sleeve, gesturing toward the castle. "Forgive me, Your Majesties, but it's time for the princess's lessons. Good afternoon." He led the princess onward before the king could interrogate him any further.

As everyone else dispersed and went their own ways, things returned to normal. But they each heeded the individual bits of advice given to them by the Princess of Corona and ultimately found that things really could improve for the better.

The end

A/N: Well, that's it. This "ties" up "The Ties of Friendship." :D I plan to have another Rapunzel story out eventually, dealing with a journey she takes with the twins. Should be interesting. ;) I just have to work out all the details. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this story. I'm kind of sad to see it end. Ah, well. All good things, right? :) Have a great week, and look for another story by Friday or Saturday most likely. You never know _what_ I'm going to expel from the depths of my mind next! ~AquaTurquoise


End file.
